Bomb kills Iraq police chief.

Bomb Kills Iraqi Police Chief Praised by U.S.

By Naseer Nouri and Sudarsan Raghavan
Washington Post Foreign Service
Monday, December 10, 2007; A13

When will the Americans ever learn. They should praise people they want to get rid of not ones that they want to have on their side. This pattern of US praise and subsequent assassination is common enough that one would think that US officials would be sparing in their praise of those that do what they believe is good work. This is from the Washington Post.


BAGHDAD, Dec. 9 -- A roadside bomb killed the police chief of a mostly Shiite province south of Baghdad, hours after U.S. commanders praised him for his commitment to bringing stability to Iraq.

The assassination of Maj. Gen. Qais al-Mamouri was the latest in a series of attacks against provincial leaders in unruly southern Iraq, where Shiite militias and other factions are engaged in a struggle for power and resources.

The bomb attack Sunday, which struck Mamouri's convoy and also killed two of his bodyguards, occurred in Hilla, about 60 miles south of Baghdad. There had been six previous attempts on his life since he became police chief of Babil province.

"We're very lucky to have in Babil province Major General Qais, who is a very good Iraqi police chief for all of that province," Col. Tom James, commander of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, said before the assassination. "He is committed to securing Iraq for the people, for the population. He does not see anything through a sectarian lens. It's all about Iraqi law, and the people see that."

Police imposed an indefinite curfew on Hilla. With people